


I'll Catch You

by AzuraJae



Series: Storge [1]
Category: DCU (Comics), Shazam! (2019), Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mary is a good older sister, Shazam spoilers, Shazamily - Freeform, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 06:39:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19785304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzuraJae/pseuds/AzuraJae
Summary: “Well, did you know that the whole transformation thing doesn’t really work underwater?” Billy tried to play it off like a sneeze. “No matter how hard you scream, no one will hear you.”Mary grimaced, sympathizing with Billy’s memory. She understood where the fear was coming from. In the event that you were drowning, not even the greatest power from the wizard would be able to save you. Not a nice thought, Mary wasn’t afraid to admit.





	I'll Catch You

**Author's Note:**

> I just watched the Shazam movie. A little late, but I thought I would watch it. I've always been a fan of Captain Marvel and I read some of the CM Comics, though I guess he's just called Shazam now? 
> 
> There's a lot of content to unpack around Billy's mental state, there is no way he recovered from everything as quickly as he did in the movie. I just wanted to unpack a bit more of that trauma, this is sort of a character study fic, and Billy's situation is extremely facinating to write about. From a story perspective, not in real life, I feel really bad for the poor guy.
> 
> Mary isn't Billy's real sister in this timeline, but I still wanted some sibling bonding.

From what Mary noticed, Billy seemed to be settling in fine with the family. It was a little difficult, of course, as it always was with foster kids in a loving environment, she knew it all too well. As the eldest sibling, she was there and experienced the arrival and growing pains of her siblings. Billy though, was a little different. Not only did he arrive into the foster home as a pretty aged teenager, the ones usually ignored by adoptive parents in favor for toddlers or babies, meaning he’s been in the system longer than almost all the kids at the house combined, but she has never heard of someone bouncing between so many homes and orphanages in her years helping out as a social worker. This is not including the many years and months Billy seemed to spend on the streets. As a runaway, he seemed to have broken a new record. Though this time, it seemed that Billy was here to stay.

Even though Billy seemed pretty content and comfortable in his new life with his new parents and siblings, he was always a little careful and quiet. He wasn’t the most talkative out of the bunch, even more than Pedro. Sometimes he spoke in a low quiet voice, as if he was trying not to wake someone from their sleep. He was a lot more cheery in his adult Shazam form, Mary chalked it up to just the kiddy superhero excitement kicking in. Mary hoped one day that he would be able to be just as cheerful as his adult form as he is normally.

Mary often saw him watching Rosa and Victor, or the other siblings, just watching with intent curiosity and only got embarrassed when they noticed him and began to pull them into their shenanigans. He hung around a lot with Freddy and the two formed a strong brotherly buddy relationship and she was happy to see that. Billy seemed to have a soft spot for Darla, who had somehow decided that Victor was no longer the ‘favorite’ and had moved on to Billy, much to father’s exaggerated dramatics.

He was still a little apprehensive, but she guessed it might take really at least one more year for Billy too fully open up and understand to be a little bit more vulnerable around them, even if he was an almost indestructible superhero on the side. He was still a kid at heart. Mary decided she would do her best as the big sister of the family to give him comfort and support when she could. It was the least she could do for him.

It had been almost a year since the debacle with Sivana and the family was going out to the frozen lake to do some family bonding and some ice skating. The whole family seemed excited, even Billy, so the young woman didn’t really think anything was wrong. Rosa had packed lunch for everybody and off they went to the park to do some ice skating.

It was when Billy stepped on the ice did Mary notice that he didn’t look all too comfortable. His normal companion, Freddy, was being pulled around on a sled-like thing by Victor, who was competing against Pedro and Darla at ‘who is the fastest’. Rosa and Darla were teaching Eugene out of skate, no one seemed to have noticed yet that Billy stood frozen at the lake’s edge.

“What’s up little brother?” Mary asked, skating towards him.

Billy seemed startled by the confrontation and almost backed up and fell into the snow if Mary’s instincts didn’t kick in and grabbed him before he took a tumble. 

“Woah there, Billy!” she said, holding onto him until he stabilized. 

The young teen looked troubled, seemingly because he troubled Mary, but it might be a little of something else. 

“Sorry.” he apologized, in his soft quiet tone he usually reserved for when he felt uncomfortable or nervous, Mary had noted. 

Feeling something was up, Mary glanced around at the other family members. Rosa seemed to have sensed something was up and was looking in their direction, but Mary smiled and gestured that she’s got this.

“Hey, I’m kinda tired.” It was a bit of a stretch, they’ve really only been on the ice for a short while. “Wanna accompany me on that bench there?”

Billy looked dumbly at the bench before he seemed to realize that Mary was talking to him. “Oh..! Yeah...sure.”

Mary grabbed her brother by the hand and the two went to go sit down on the bench, where Billy put his hands into his pocket and looked onto the ice. Mary was thinking about what she should say to him when he suddenly spoke up.

“Sorry, you don’t need to wait for me.” He told her, looking both embarrassed and guilty. “I didn’t mean to take your time away from skating…”

“I  _ told  _ you I’m tired.” Mary insisted to him. “I’m just taking a break, with you.” She looked at him, who sheepishly looked away. In a much softer and kinder tone, she asked him. “Is something up Billy? Something wrong?”

“No..! No...I just. It’s  _ really  _ nothing.” Billy tried to brush off but Mary kept looking at him. “It’s really stupid really… you might laugh.” Billy seemed to be doing is darnest best trying to get Mary to drop whatever was on his mind, but Mary wasn’t going to let him. The big sister in her was talking.

“I won’t laugh. I promise.” Mary told him seriously.

Billy seemed surprised to see that Mary seem to stick so hard to finding out what was the matter. Mary could only guess that he was still trying to get used to the idea that people actually love and care for him. 

“Freddy might.” He said finally, with a small chuckle, but his expression fell a bit. He sighed, thinking for a moment before he finally looked to Mary. “You remember that fight with the bald guy?”

Mary wrinkled her nose at the mention. “You mean the one who tried to kill you?” 

“Yeah, that guy.” Billy confirmed. Mary was getting nervous that there was still some underlying trauma from the incident. She knew that  _ she  _ still had dreams about those terrible monsters.

“You saved me, but...remember when he tried to, uh…” Billy grew nervous himself. “...drown me?” 

Suddenly it all seemed to make sense. Billy was afraid of the ice breaking. She didn’t really see the whole thing go down, since she was busy running for her life, but she had seen Billy trip at fall, barely avoiding falling in the ice, only for that bald-headed bastard to push his head underwater, effectively beginning to drown him. Thankfully, she had managed to distract him enough to let Billy go just in time he could transform. 

“Well, did you know that the whole transformation thing doesn’t really work underwater?” Billy tried to play it off like a sneeze. “No matter how hard you scream, no one will hear you.” 

Mary grimaced, sympathizing with Billy’s memory. She understood where the fear was coming from. In the event that you were drowning, not even the greatest power from the wizard would be able to save you. Not a nice thought, Mary wasn’t afraid to admit.

“It must’ve been scary.” Mary said, slinging her arm over Billy’s shoulders. Mary wished she could’ve gotten her powers sooner. Watching Billy struggle as he slowly drowned while she was unable to do  _ anything  _ was just an awful feeling. “Don’t like the ice now?”

“Pools are fine. Big water is still a bit…” Billy trailed off and sighed. “I hope I never have to fight over the ocean.”

Mary smiled, giving him a gentle hug. “Even if we do, if you fall, even if we’re in the smallest pond ever, I’ll catch you. If I don’t, _ they _ will.” She gestured to the family out having fun on the ice. 

For the first time since arriving, Billy gave her a heartfelt smile. “Thanks.”

Seeing Billy better made her smile. It would still be a long time before Billy would be honest with his feelings and a bit more vulnerable with his family, he’s been through a lot and his mental state still wasn’t the greatest. He still suffered from the whole decade year of searching for nothing, but a little bit by bit, Mary hoped, he would begin to get over that trauma being around people who unconditionally loved him.

“Wanna go on the ice?” Mary asked him when she noticed him glancing out into the frozen lake.

“I...I don’t know how to skate.” Billy said, trying to seem like he was okay where he was, but it seemed like he really wanted to socialize with the family.

“Rosa can teach you. Did you know she used to figure skate when she was younger?” Mary assured him, taking him by the hand and pulling him to his feet. “If you’re still worried you’ll slip, I promise I’ll catch you.”

Billy still looked a bit apprehensive, but after seeing Darla and the others calling out for him to join them, Billy allowed himself to be led by Mary back onto the ice. He still kept to the edges of the frozen lake, but it was okay because the family clamored close to him. As Mary watched Billy having fun, she smiled happily.

She hoped that Billy would be able to find true limitless happiness here, as she and the others have. No matter how long it takes.

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun and heartwarming to write. I have a couple other Shazam fics based on the movie that I would love to finish working on, but they aren't quite polished yet. This one was the only one that had a proper beginning and ending. I do plan on uploading it someday though. 
> 
> If you reached this far, thank you for reading!


End file.
